Formula 1 Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
The challenges facing Mercedes ahead of F1 2026
Will Mercedes’ title drought end this year?
Ben Vinel
Published: Feb 2, 2026, 7:00 AM
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes W17
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
It has been five years since Mercedes last won the Formula 1 world championship – the 2021 constructors’ title, with its last triumph in the drivers’ standings dating back to 2020 with Lewis Hamilton.
As Mercedes holds its 2026 season launch on Monday, let’s look at its prospects for the upcoming campaign.
What's new at Mercedes?
Mercedes is going into the 2026 season with a great deal of continuity as it tackles F1’s new technical rules. Toto Wolff has been the team’s principal since 2013; the driver line-up is unchanged, with two products of the squad’s academy, George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Like its predecessor, the W17 was designed under technical director James Allison, deputy Simone Resta and car design director John Owen. The latter has however resigned and will be replaced by current engineering director Giacomo Tortora.
What's the biggest challenge to Mercedes?
Mercedes is an all-round strong team, but it hasn’t won a world championship since 2021. It’s all about bouncing back – not just for glory but also to gain a prime position on the drivers’ market.
That’s what Mercedes needs in order to retain Russell, who is well aware of the value he now represents for the team as its lead driver.
“The priority for me is having a world championship winning car, and I want that to be with Mercedes. That is the number one priority,” the Briton told Motorsport.com ahead of last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix, as his talks with the team over a 2026 contract dragged on.
George Russell, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
“I think drivers who are chasing long-term deals feel they need that security. I've never had a long-term deal, and I don't need a long-term deal, because it should always be about performance. And if I'm not performing, the team shouldn't be tied in with me. That's as simple as that.”
In other words, if Mercedes doesn’t live up to expectations, Russell will undoubtedly seek better fortunes elsewhere.
Equally, Wolff has openly courted Max Verstappen, and one could easily imagine the Dutchman giving up on Red Bull if Mercedes proved to be dominant this season.
Of course, this also depends on Antonelli’s performance – and that’s another potential challenge.
F1’s third-youngest driver ever had a somewhat encouraging but still trying rookie season amid an obvious lack of confidence. As a sophomore, he’ll be expected to perform much closer to Russell’s level.
What's the strongest asset to Mercedes?
On top of the aforementioned continuity, its car – probably. The W17 was believed to be strongest over the Barcelona test; it seemingly ran more reliably and consistently than any other machinery. It was clockwork-worthy.
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Still, it’s much too early to draw conclusions regarding performance, but there is cause for cautious optimism in Brackley.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
What's the goal in F1 2026 for Mercedes?
Mercedes is the most successful team in F1 this century with eight constructors’ titles. Championship glory will naturally be its priority, especially after such a successful pre-season test at Barcelona: Russell and Antonelli covered some 500 laps, and they weren’t slow either.
Their progress was such that they ran a race simulation and started working on finer details, for instance the new-for-2026 power unit’s behaviour on softer rubber inducing higher speeds. They already seem to be one step ahead of the competition – but their rivals can catch up in the Bahrain tests.
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